Getting Poles to 'do it their way'
Small- and medium-sized businesses are punching well below their weight, generating just 48.4 percent of GDP-significantly less than the EU average, according to the Central Statistical Office (GUS).
And the country's flair for enterprise has plummeted too, with just 9 percent of unemployed people taking the initiative to start a new business, compared to the 40 percent of Poles who took that risk 14 years ago. Disappointingly, around 60 percent of those searching for a job simply wait passively, hoping that something will come along.
Most people are discouraged from starting a business by bureaucracy, long-winded administrative processes and a lack of stability. High taxes, high costs of maintaining an enterprise and fear of corruption significantly add to the minus side of the balance sheet.
To encourage people to act, the International Association of Advertisement in Poland has organized the 'Do It Your Way' campaign. Organizers are aiming to motivate young people to start their own businesses by teaching them creative ways to reach their goals. The campaign hopes to show people that investing in their own passions and believing in one's abilities is worth the risk.
Vice president of Optimus, Małgorzata Walczak, is one of the campaign's key supporters. She believes that it's never too early to start setting specific goals and working to reach them.
"We are the biggest challengers of ourselves and we cannot be afraid to follow our dreams," says Walczak. According to her, people should focus on their own development and constantly improve their own abilities instead of comparing themselves to others. (A.Ł.)
And the country's flair for enterprise has plummeted too, with just 9 percent of unemployed people taking the initiative to start a new business, compared to the 40 percent of Poles who took that risk 14 years ago. Disappointingly, around 60 percent of those searching for a job simply wait passively, hoping that something will come along.
Most people are discouraged from starting a business by bureaucracy, long-winded administrative processes and a lack of stability. High taxes, high costs of maintaining an enterprise and fear of corruption significantly add to the minus side of the balance sheet.
To encourage people to act, the International Association of Advertisement in Poland has organized the 'Do It Your Way' campaign. Organizers are aiming to motivate young people to start their own businesses by teaching them creative ways to reach their goals. The campaign hopes to show people that investing in their own passions and believing in one's abilities is worth the risk.
Vice president of Optimus, Małgorzata Walczak, is one of the campaign's key supporters. She believes that it's never too early to start setting specific goals and working to reach them.
"We are the biggest challengers of ourselves and we cannot be afraid to follow our dreams," says Walczak. According to her, people should focus on their own development and constantly improve their own abilities instead of comparing themselves to others. (A.Ł.)
